Darien School District board approves FY27 operating budget with 3.51% increase

At a special meeting, the Darien School District Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the superintendent’s proposed fiscal year 2027 operating budget, the board announced. The administration said the adjusted plan represents a 3.51% increase and will be submitted to the Board of Finance on March 3.

The chairperson opened the meeting by thanking the superintendent and the administration for a new budget process intended to tie spending to district strategic goals and to encourage productive dialogue with board members and the public. The chairperson said community feedback informed the planning and that the board aims to present a fiscally responsible budget that meets student needs.

Administration then described a board-directed reduction tied to an early retirement incentive program. “So with that change, the budget would be a $130,179,009.22 or a 3.51% increase,” said Rich, the finance presenter identified in the record. He said the adjustment reflected a $460,511 reduction from an earlier proposal that equaled a 3.88% increase.

After an opportunity for board discussion produced no additional questions, the chairperson asked for a motion to approve the operating budget. A motion to approve the operating budget representing a 3.51% increase for fiscal 2027 was made and subsequently seconded; the board voted unanimously to approve the budget. The motion language recorded in the transcript referenced a total of $130,179,922, a discrepancy from the figure Rich read earlier; the transcript does not identify an exact mover or provide a roll-call vote count, only that the vote was unanimous.

The board then opened the public comment period and invited residents to the podium; staff announced a three-minute limit for speakers. “We have no public comment at this time,” the public comment moderator said. The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn, which was seconded and approved unanimously.

The approved budget will be formally submitted to the Board of Finance at its March 3 meeting, as the chairperson noted. The transcript does not show further discussion of program-level changes, nor does it include a detailed roll-call vote number. Next steps are the Board of Finance review and any subsequent budget-adoption steps required under district and municipal procedure.